Do you give back-rubs and foot baths to your patients?

PediLove2147, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2012

I hate feet and I am terrible at back rubs, I don't even give my husband back rubs. There are a lot of things I will do for my patients but those are not included. I will rub in lotion of course but I think that's different.

I had a patient whose wife applied lotion and then per his request massaged him. That's fine, BUT she then went to his butt and the man got a full rub down. At home people, not the hospital.

ComeTogether, LPN · Sep 13, 2012

I give back rubs and foot rub to my geriatric patients ( my little old people I call them) hehe. I also give hugs and kisses but only to the adorable older ones. I don't usually do much touching to the younger generations unless there is a need for it. I'll put lotion on someone's back no matter what age if it's part of am care but not just because. I had this sweeeet 92 year old British lady that I spoiled the crap out of last week. She was so darn cute. Made me Laugh every time she said knickers heheheh. I dread the day I no longer have time for this stuff......

"No day but today"

Wet Noodle · Sep 13, 2012

In the old days, massage was part of the bedside nursing protocol. In fact, it's still mentioned as such in nursing fundamentals classes. Now not only is there no time for such "luxuries," but it's clear that some nurses are grossed out by the idea, either because they have their own touch issues, or they find some feet to be repellant.

I understand that it may not be appropriate for a nurse without any training in massage to do much more than a back rub, and that it's generally not appropriate for a psychiatric nurse, etc., but, as a licensed massage therapist, I find some of comments troubling.

Massage itself is therapeutic. I wish more hospitals had programs where LMTs with training in medical massage volunteer to treat patients who are receptive to the idea.

threebrats46 · Sep 13, 2012

No last foot rub I gave was to a middle age man who claimed he had trouble walking/reaching his achy feet.

Next day I come to work he was walking around and told some other male pt that I was hitting on him ( in much dirtier words) and other male pt leered at me...so never again!! Unless it is witness by an aide during bathing perhaps a back rub when changing positions.

wannabecnl · Sep 13, 2012

I gave a backrub to one patient on a stepdown unit who had chronic low back pain along with her acute surgical pain in her abdomen. She used oral opioids at home, so what we were giving her for the acute pain wasn't doing much for her back. Neither was being stuck in an uncomfortable bed or chair all day except for trips to the pot. So when she asked if I could just rub her back, I was happy to do so. It was great to see how it could relieve her pain when all our fancy drugs could not without sedating her too much (that gate theory we learned about in pharmacology actually works!). It doesn't come up much in the PACU, but I was glad to have the time to help that patient in that situation. I can see how it would be weird in a different situation, though.

JerseyBSN · Sep 13, 2012

No, no time to do more than meds. I wish, but no.

pollycare · Sep 15, 2012

In CNA class, we are taught backrub as part of our skills. It's required for partial bedbath, and we do it on a mannequin. One of our plastic residents has a stage 1 ulcer on his/her (this week, it's a she) sacrum. Of course, we would avoid that ulcer, but we were taught that massage stimulates the circulation, and is an excellent way to prevent ulcers, not just a nice thing for our residents (in NY, the chances are good that we'll be working in LTC). There is a prescribed pattern (from the base of the spine, UP, double circle double circle, down. That's done 3X, then UP, double circle double circle (middle of back), down, 3X, then UP, double circle, double circle, double circle (small of back) down 3X, done! It takes about 3-5 minutes.

I was heartbroken to be told by our instructor that in the RW, we will not likely have time for massaging our residents. I have a dear friend who suffered a brain injury and is in a nursing home, and when I visit him, I massage his back. It's does wonders for him. He is somewhat confused, and tells me that the staff don't have time to talk to him, and think he's too dirty to touch (that's how he interprets being told to give himself a partial bed bath). He has neck pain as a result of his TBI, but the injury doesn't involve his spinal chord, and there's no reason not to give him basic massage (and rub in a little Bio-Freeze!) except under-staffing. I am very nervous myself about managing my time once I'm out on the floor, so I understand why nurses and CNAs don't, for the most part, massage their patient/residents.

BUT, like the massage therapist, I too am disturbed by the ppl who find it off-putting. It's obviously highly beneficial to the person's healing. If you have a traumatic background that interferes with your ability to touch your patients, perhaps therapy would do both you and your patients good.

And if you DON'T have a traumatic background, and find yourself with some time, I hope you get over it and give your folks a back rub! Just tell them it's part of their skin care.

I hope I don't sound too mouthy as a new poster and CNA student, but I've also been hospitalized a number of times. I'd hate to think that some of my grinding anxiety and pain could have been mitigated but my nurse, after emptying my drains, was freaked out by the idea of touching my back.

silt · Sep 20, 2012

Due to a complicated personal history, I simply can't rub backs.
Neither can I stand for someone to come up behind me and rub my shoulders.
We all bring a ton of baggage with us when we enter any arena of our lives. Sometimes we can ignore the baggage and sometimes we can't.

It's probably better to be attuned to your own feelings than ignore them.

silt · Oct 4, 2012

Nope.
Might be me being paranoid because I'm a male nurse but.............too much opportunity for............misunderstandings. Heck, I've had women accuse me of trying to "sneak a peak" because they happened to be on the bedside commode when I answered their call light. Not going to give someone like this any ammo.
I've heard patients complain that nurses don't do this anymore but..........meh, they'll get over it. Or they can hire someone for that.

I think it would depend on who you're giving back rubs to. I don't think everyone would make accusations.

I think there would be some male patients who might value therapeutic touch for reasons of health and healing.

Also, I don't think all woman have the same distrust of male caregivers.

silt · Oct 4, 2012

No, I don't. If the patient needed it, I would but honestly it feels a bit personal to me. I would not be comfortable with it. I had a patient who desperately wanted me to spend a lot of time scratching his back and it made me feel really awkward. I am sure that is just me, but I have pretty strict boundaries regarding personal space. I was not raised in a touchy family and have never been a hugger. I do try to touch my patient's hand or arm when I care for them and I do make a lot of eye contact, so it isn't an issue of avoiding intimacy, just physical intimacy. To me that is just too personal. I am, however, a very new nurse. It is likely I will get past it when the situation calls for it, but just as a means of pampering? No. I don't.

On some patients, if they ask for a back scratch, what helps them is to soak a wash cloth in warm water and use some cream and wash their back and rub cream in. Then they will leave you alone for the rest of the shift. This takes away the itch.

aem31 · Oct 6, 2012

, I too am disturbed by the ppl who find it off-putting. It's obviously highly beneficial to the person's healing. If you have a traumatic background that interferes with your ability to touch your patients, perhaps therapy would do both you and your patients good.
And if you DON'T have a traumatic background, and find yourself with some time, I hope you get over it and give your folks a back rub! Just tell them it's part of their skin care.
I hope I don't sound too mouthy as a new poster and CNA student, but I've also been hospitalized a number of times. I'd hate to think that some of my grinding anxiety and pain could have been mitigated but my nurse, after emptying my drains, was freaked out by the idea of touching my back.

Why would this disturb you? Everyone has their personal space boundaries. It doesn't mean much of anything except it plain makes them uncomfortable. That should be respected. You don't have to have a traumatic event in your past feel awkward or uncomfortable with giving someone a massage.

As far as hoping those with a traumatic history "get over it and give their folks a back rub"....don't even know what to say to that. It's really off putting though.

pollycare · Jan 11, 2013

"As far as hoping those with a traumatic history "get over it and give their folks a back rub"....don't even know what to say to that. It's really off putting though. "

First, if you go back and read my post, you'll see that I was talking about those who DON'T have a traumatic history just getting over their reserve and doing something that will benefit their patient. I suggested therapy for trauma victims. It isn't a cure-all, but it could very well help both the traumatized nurse and those who unwittingly upset her, like her co-workers.

I am now post-internship, and while still a newbie/twerp, I did have a chance to begin on what will be a long period of acquiring hands-on experience 'just getting over' doing scary things involving the bodies of sick, vulnerable people. And while I haven't nearly the experience you, and most of the people at allnurses.com undoubtedly have in caregiving, I've put in plenty of time, unfortunately, as both caregiver to family and as a hospital patient myself. Most of the nurses and CNAs I've met were so great that they inspired me to go into this field to begin with, but we all know some people who shouldn't have gone into this sort of caregiving.(The nurse who wished us a cheery "Happy New Year!" as we huddled around my father's deathbed; the nurse who told me "You did NOT faint!" after she disbelieved my protests that I was seeing stars and I woke up on the floor; the CNA who yelled, "She said she wanted only coffee, and that's all she's going to get!" and threw the resident's sandwich into the garbage). It's one thing, which I entirely understand, to not have time to do a back massage, but knowing the benefits to the patient, if you have the luxury of a little time, who says "I can't do this--it's just not me?" You're telling me that you're willing to administer a SS enema but can't rub a little lotion on somebody's back?

I guess if you don't understand why I'm disturbed by this, I don't really know what to say either.